Hospital Settles Claim

A New Hampshire hospital has settled a complaint of ADA violations related to its failure to provide interpreting services for deaf patients. While St. Joseph Hopsital and SJ Physicians did not admit wrongdoing, the Nashua facilities agreed to wipe out the $10,000 medical bills of Sheila Coombs and Gary Catania over the matter. The two are deaf and were not provided interpreters during their medical treatment between 2005 and 2008. The hopital and its medical practice has also agreed to insure deaf and hard-of--hearing patients get the services they need. To do this, there will be staff training, a new program developed and video relay will be used.